ABC Election Coverage: 2006 Victorian Election

Polwarth

Western Victoria

Safe Liberal 9.5%

MP

Terry Mulder (LIB) since 1999.

Profile

Rural district to the west of Geelong covering 11,007.5 sq.km along the Great Ocean Road from Anglesea to Peterborough, including Aireys Inlet, Lorne, Apollo Bay and Port Campbell. Further inland, the electorate includes Winchelsea, Colac, Camperdown and Terang along the Princes Highway, and Inverleigh, Cressy, Lismore and Mortlake on the Hamilton Highway.

History/Trivia

Always a conservative seat, Polwarth has been held by the Liberal Party since 1949. It was held for the Liberal Party from 1985 to 1999 by Ian Smith, always a controversial MP once seen as a future leader of the Party, who managed over time to be sacked from both the Hamer and Kennett cabinets. On Smith's retirement in 1999, the National Party contested the seat, nominating well-known former Geelong footballer, Brownlow medallist and TV football commentator Paul Couch. He polled a disappointing 16.6% but still could have won the seat, but failed to pass the Labor candidate after a poor flow of preferences from the Greens and an Independent.

2-Party Booth Result

The Liberal Party recorded majorities in 36 of the 46 booths used in 2002, ranging from 35.0% at Aireys Inlet Community Centre to 92.2% at Wiridijil Hall in Cooriemungle. The Ecklin Hall booth recorded the highest Liberal primary vote percentage in the state at 81.3%, 196 of the 241 formal votes.